Together we Fall
by ShatteredHeart98
Summary: In a confused world with a a twisted government and a spiteful family, two girls will find each other when everything falls apart, and together they will face the world's threat. Yes, female closeness, but nothing too strong. Hope you enjoy!
1. Why me?

**Together we Fall**

**Chapter One: Why Me?**

_Vanille's POV_

It was a moonless night, the world wrapped in a thick cloak of complete blackness. The stars were scarce here, spread out across the darkness like a God had thrown them up in their mighty fist at random, not having a clue as to where they should go.

I smiled nonetheless. To me, it was peaceful, calming, and it was times like this, in the middle of the night, just outside of my village on the great hill, that I enjoyed being alone.

No longer were they children laughing at my inability to read or write, no longer where there snickered remarks behind my back by the adults. Behind the trees that stood behind me in the little wooden huts I knew that I had not a single friend. They slept with no worries of their own, only good, happy memories, no thoughts spared for the lonely girl with the bright red hair who had to shut herself out from the world as they refused to let her in.

"I don't care," I said to the sky, to the stars, to the only one I knew I could trust. "I don't need anyone else other then myself."

Little did I know that somewhere in a very different world, someone shared the same exact thought, yet they were two completely different people.

_Lightning's POV_

Lightning. That was my name, and quiet a fitting one at that. It warned people away, let them know that as it suggested, I would strike them down where they stood.

Never did my gunblade leave my side. The glinting metal was always there in the corner of my eye, and that was what comforted me and left me feeling in power.

An enemy had me in their sights. I knew that before I saw them, and with little effort I raised the weapon from the sheath, smiled at the sound of the familiar metal sliding, and I locked the gun barrel into place and fired three fast shots.

It was as though his death was in slow motion. Blood exploded in crimson clouds where the bullets had driven into his flesh. One shot his him in the chest, stopping him in the tracks, then he was spun around with a forceful impact to the left of his neck, and the final bullet, my favourite, found itself lodged in the back of his head as it turned completely to me. His fell onto his side, still in the rotation, but now he was still, and to me, that always meant death.

With a bored sigh I prepared for the next enemy. It came in less than five seconds, and fell in even less than that.

Again I was left thinking. Is this how things are going to be forever? Fighting enemies that snap like twigs? If so, than I might as well be non-existent. But why did they force all of this pathetic practice upon me, hardening me up and strengthening me… for what?

Why me?

Vanille was a smart girl despite her lacking ability in some things the other villagers consistently progressed in. She knew exactly where the best places were for survival, and led the village to these woods where there were no enemies, and she was an expert tracker, finding food after it has left days before… but her favourite skill was that of the bow.

The arrow whistled through the air as she sent it from the bow like a bird being released from a cage. It was a shining sparkle as it sailed over the cliff, and she watched it keenly as it caught in the flesh of a fair sized brown animal that was barely a blur from where she stood.

With a whoop she jumped up in the air. "Deer tonight!" she shouted out excitedly.

"Wow, Vanille. Do you ever actually miss?"

She turned to see Treyvell, one of the friendlier boys from her village. He approached with a broad smile on his face that he wore whenever he was near her.

With reddening cheeks she turned away, knowing full well that he liked her much more than a friend. She wasn't quiet sure how she felt about him, but he was definitely a handsome boy with wild brown hair lightened at the top into a brown-blonde, and he had a well muscled body. With eyes of the sea he liked to watch her from afar and wave whenever she turned, friendly by nature with a pure heart.

"You're beginning to do that every day," she said without facing him, not wanting him to see her blush.

"Do what?" he asked innocently, stopping just behind her.

She turned with a fake glare on her face. "Startle me! You do it all of the time now!"

He burst out laughing. "Well, when you're hunting you just seem so… distant. It's not my fault that it makes you easy to scare."

"Startle," she corrected quickly. "You don't scare me."

"I'm not surprised," he said, eyeing the thick wooden bow in her hands. "I would never cross you when you never let that thing out of your hands."

Now she was smiling and forgave him for the third time that week when he had caught her off guard.

Together they descended to retrieve the fallen deer.

There was anger in Lightning's eyes as she dragged one of the soldier trainees into the doors of the building and all the way up the stairs, heading for the main office.

"Please, I didn't mean-"

"Didn't mean to what? Attack another trainee and nearly sever his arm off!" she interrupted him furiously.

"I lost my temper!"

"And your about to lose a lot more if you don't shut the hell up!"

"I'm sorry! It won't happen again!"

She stopped at the top of the stairs and whipped around to face the man, trapping him in her icy glare. "No, it won't, will it? Because when you leave from your punishment, whatever it may be, and I hear of another little 'mishap' I will find you and make sure you are taken out of this training course and your dreams are crushed into the ground. Do you understand this, boy?"

He whimpered and nodded, a tear rolling pathetically down his sweaty face.

She rolled her eyes and pulled him up roughly, her arms growing tired of dragging him along the flor, but she kept a strong grip on the back of his shirt.

Once they head reached the main office she knocked and waited for a reply, then threw him through the door and left him to deal with the damage on his own.

To release her anger at the idiotic man whom did not belong among the other she taught, she headed straight for the gym facilities where she pounded the stuffing out of every 'safe target' she could see.

"Stupid… trainees… don't… know… ANYTHING!" she cried out with each punch that sprayed wool and stitching over the floor like blood. There were no other targets for her to fight, so she sat upon the cold hard wood beneath her and stared at her hands that were still bloody from the earlier fighting.

She did not understand it, but more and more real targets were being used. People condemned to death were brought here for a fighting chance, but usually only a handful at a time. However, in the past week she had seen at least fifty.

There was only one reason for this: The government were tightening their grip upon the people of Cocoon.

She wanted out.

No longer did she question the thought. It was as though the leaders were possessed madmen and women who were sending people who so much as sneezed to the medical labs to be tested for diseases. More and more people were being attacked by them, and now there was fear spreading through the entire city like blood through veins.

"I don't want to fight for them," Lightning thought sadly as she closed her eyes and tried to do what she always did: Think of a better life.


	2. Changes

**Chapter Two: Changes**

_**Vanille's POV**_

I sat at the table in the restaurant, fiddling with the dull coloured table cloth in front of me as I waited for the meal to arrive.

Across from me sat Treyvell whose eyes were fixated on me, glimmering in the light of the candle.

That was the problem with this place. It was so romantic, and I glowered at the candle, growing more and more uncomfortable... Especially at the fact that the boy wasn't even blinking in his stare.

"I hate candles," I said, voicing my point subtly.

He nodded quickly. "O-of course," he said, snuffing it out with his fingers after covering them thickly with a spare blanket beneath the bread basket.

Of course, as the world works, the material caught fire in an instant.

"Wow!" he cried out, quickly stuffing the blanket in the jug of water. "Sorry Vanille," he added, growing red with embarrassment.

I laughed out loud at his stupidity, but felt a little sorry for him, so I reached across and touched his hand. "Did it burn?"

He smiled at my touch. "No, not my hand, but I don't think they'll be using this again," he said, pulling the fire's victim from the water to show her a gaping hole smeared with black ash.

Our meals arrived a moment later. The waiter, a man I knew well for hating Treyvell with such a passion his reasons were kept a secret, glared straight at the boy, his eyes flicking to the burnt cloth.

"Sorry," Treyvell apologised in a small voice. "I-I'll pay for it."

"Can you?" the man snapped.

Treyvell went even redder. He was a poor boy, his family having to bribe and beg for money. He was deeply ashamed of it and rarely spoke of it at all.

"Enough," I growled at the waiter for Treyvell's sake. "He has the money to pay, but if it is not on him at this moment then I will pay for it for you."

Satisfied, the waiter left.

"Vanille, you know I can't pay, but you shouldn't have to in my place," Treyvell said sadly.

"I shook my head and started digging through my food as I spoke. "You brought me here for dinner Treyvell. Consider it my thanks."

He laughed a little. "I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving you to eat deer for your dinner," he pointed out.

"Well, this food isn't much better," I said in disgust, then apologised as I saw his face.

Treyvell had used what money he had for himself to buy us these meals, and I was grateful apart from the fact that I hated this restaurant, its food, the people, everything about it! It was the only other source of food we had in the village apart from hunted animals or gathered food, but the people who ran this restaurant were pompous morons who had more money then the rest of us.

After we had finished dining we headed to the fields where I often sat on my own. The stars were more numerous now, sparkling in the moonlight and seeming to only exist for us.

It did not take long for us to start talking, growing tired of the silence. Treyvell spoke of his family problems, panic clear in his voice, but then he apologised for telling me something he was sure bored me and abruptly stopped no matter how hard I pushed.

"At least you have a family," I said after a few minutes since his refusal to continue on the subject.

Now I was talking about something that bothered me, but it was worse it was a tragic plague in my mind that refused to let me live a normal happy life.

Happy… That word I never really understood.

I felt Treyvell's hand twitch, shuddering in the glass, then it grasped my hand. His skin was so soft and warm, yet it was strong and held me tightly. I smiled, feeling protected and no longer alone.

"You have me," he said after a moment, his smile growing brighter despite the darkness that began to cover the world. "And you won't lose me… not ever."

Our emotions were brimming now like water spilling over the side of a jug, but it wasn't just swelling bliss, for I felt the memories of my past stinging me behind my eyes. They flashed past, the words of my mother: _You always have me, dear Vanille._

I wept like I had not done in years and I found myself wrapped in his arms immediately. At first he was tense and I realised I had flung myself into him, but his muscles relaxed and he held me tightly, whispering into my ear that everything would be okay.

That was why they hated me. My mother had been loved, a cherished healer amongst the villagers, but my birth had brought her death, then my father went mad with the loss and ran away from the village.

I had not seen him since and was forced to deal with the blame of my mothers death on my own. Well, accept for Treyvell. He never blamed me, nor did he ever leave my side.

We fell asleep like that, me folded in his arms as he whispered calming things into my ear.

_**Lightning's POV**_

Tonight was the night. I had had it the government and their paranoid ways. There had been a beating that day, soldiers like me forced to attack innocents after they came too close to the walls.

"They may be effected by the diseases that possess the land outside of this town," commander Strade yelled to myself and the other assembled fighters. "It is your job to bring them in so they can be tested and celled for the night. Be as brutal as you must to ensure none escape out clutches."

I could not believe this and made it clear. "We are supposed to be protectors, and you want us to hunt down the innocents of this city, tear them away from their families, and bring them to prison for wandering a little close to the wall?"

Strade was unimpressed as I was expecting. "You are protecting the others of this city from disease, so don't you dare speak to me as thought I have no idea what I am talking about, girl!"

I spat at his feet. "What disease? Can it teleport through the three metre thick walls now, can it?"

Now he was shaking with rage. "If one of these people do not end up in my cells tonight, the blame goes on you, soldier! You know what the consequences will be to, don't you?"

I knew well. I would have a cell of my own with no food nor water, and I would be taunted by the ongoing cries of the innocents, hating me for getting them in the same place as I would be.

In the end, I felt I had no choice, so I bit my tongue and joined the group of soldiers as they swarmed the streets and began attacking the targets we had been given clear photos of.

Children were dragged from houses, the mothers screaming and clutching at their hands. Fathers went out to fight, but we brought them down with, knocking them unconscious and carrying them back. Some women were found tyring to escape, but some of the faster of us chased them down and brought them back a few minutes later.

I stood in the middle of the chaos, unable to decide what to do. I had many chaces to attack and bring down another target, conscious or not, but I did not take it, then neither did I take the equal opportunities to save any.

Surrounding us in a ring were the other city people who had come out to see what was happening, and at the sight of the brutality they were all clearly shocked and disappointed.

I stared at their faces, their eyes wide, some heads shaking, then I was struck in the side of the face.

It was a powerful hit and I was sent reeling towards the crown of curious people. I landed on my side painfully, slid along the ground, and then when I stopped I lifted my head groggily to see the pale face of a young girl.

Her hand gripped her mothers tightly. "Mummy, it's one of the monsters!" she gasped with terror.

For me, that was the last straw.

I stood and threw my weapon to the ground. Let them lock me up, let them strip me of my position. I no longer cared. Where was the protection in this? Was this what we were now? Monsters?

In the end none had escaped, so I avoided a cell. Not wanting to stay in the headquarters where the other soldiers celebrated drunkenly, I wandered the now empty streets, looking around at closed up windows and shadows that ran at the sight of me.

Depressed, I stared down at my hands, the hands of a monster, a beast, an entity of evil. I did not want that. I could not bear to wear such a thing.

So I fled.

With my speed and agility I slunk through the streets completely undetected by the guards on patrol. My feet pattered along the ground, falling silent when I forced them too. I flipped over obstacles, scrambled into shadows, then I found my way out.

Above was a network of tubes where trains ran. That was where I felt I needed to be. It would be easy, running along the top of the tunnel until I could reach the wall. Then I would-

"Hey!"

"Time to run," I whispered to myself as one of the woman guards located me. As soon as I could hear her feet reaching me I leapt towards the nearest house. There was a pipe and I clutched the metal, pulling myself up with sharps thrusts with my arms. My fingers cut on the metal, bu I ignored the pain until I reached the roof.

But there was still no time. Below, more guards had been told of my absence into the city when I should be in the headquarters like a child locked in their room for the night.

I found it ironic that now I was officially turning my back on the government, I began to realise how much I had hated it before.

Leaping from roof to roof was not easy. My legs were trembling from the lack of energy on the tenth jump, but it was the final. I was at a staircase leading to the first train stop, so I climbed with such a rush that I nearly stumbled. It was unlike me, so now escape was looking more impossible. What if I made another mistake?

Another thought came to my mind as I boarded the train at the top of the stairs. It was almost completely empty, so I took the nearest seat to a set of doors on the left and thought about the new dilemma.

This city was located on a flying piece of rock so as to avoid the world below, but diseases were still said to remain in the forest that surrounded us. I stared at my hands gloved with a powerful device. Gravity was the magic it unleashed, hopefully ensuring a clean landing on the outside world, but it would be a long way down.

The train stopped and the doors slid open. With my sword in my hand I peered outside too see three soldiers glaring back with their guns pointed straight at me.

"Step out of the train and follow us," they said with monotone voices. They were robots, like I was, but unlike me they did not see another life available.

I left the train with my hands in the air. "Easy boys," I said, seeing that they were both male. "I don't want to start and trouble."

They did not even see me go. I shot at a pipe before their feet and a mix of gas and smoke covered their view. I took the well planned opportunity to run, leaping over the top of the train and speeding along the tube, but instead of reaching the top my jump fell short and I found myself rushing through the inside, hoping that there would be no other trains.

Of course there were, due to my bad luck. It came racing along, the tunnel shaking with its speed. I did not stop at all. My breath was raggad with fear and exhaustion as my feet led me ahead at a frightening speed, then I saw the train'd headlights glaring, its horns screaming.

I threw myself into the air, my body spinning and twirling. I watched the top of the train pass beneath me, then the tracks appeared again. I landed, my feet standing for a moment before sending me into a delayed roll along the tracks.

I was almost there. At the end of the tunnel was a turn, but beyong that change of direction was the wall, and I knew what I had to do. My speed was crucial now, so I put all of my energy into my legs as they cried out in agony from the fall. I ignored the pain of course, as we all must do when desperate measures are called upon, and it payed off.

I launched myself at the glass that curved in the turn. My feet went first, kicking against the surface, and like water it exploded around me, shattering and clicking against the rails as I flew through the air. Stings of pain ran along my arms from some of the shards, but my eyes stayed focused on the wall. It was very close and I wondered if I could make it. Below the soldiers were firing, tyring to kill me now instead of taking me back to the headquarters. Well, if I fell they would not need bullets.

My shadow was on the wall as I passed over it. I could feel my red cape brush against the steel and I let out a breath as I realised how close I was, but there was no crack of bones, no sudden blackness.

Green trees whipped at me, cutting my exposed flesh. It was an onslaught of branches and I cried out until the stinging pain subsided for a moment. I was past the attacking tree depths, but the ground was still below.

I tumped against the hard green surface, immediately realising that the old myth of grass cushioning any fall was rubbish. With a groan I rolled myself onto my back, my eyes opening a crack to see that I was indeed free, but how many bones had it cost me?

Slowly and carefully I sat myself up and started checking every part of my body that ached. There were many cuts and bruises, some red patches I did not like the look of, but nothing was broken or missing, and there were no bullet holes at all.

With a sigh or relief I lay back and laughed out loud. No longer could I hear the soldiers, only the cry of birds, and there was no stink of smoke and no chatter of people working themselves ragged with whatever business they had.

There was no time to waste. I was suddenly filled with an intense wish to see the world that I had been sheltered from for all my life, so I dragged my tired feet to the edge of my world and looked down.

Through the mist of clouds I could see brown land with patches of green. Vegetation. That was a good sign, but rocky brown meant death for sure. I had to land in the right place, and then put more of a strain on my gravity ability.

I took another step forward, my gut gnawing at itself a little as I realised the height. I took a deep breath, slowed my heart as best I could, snapped my fingers… then jumped.

The pull of the gravity magic was strong and I was falling slowly already, like a parachute had been pulled, but as I pointed my head straight forward I sped up a little. It would kick in when I needed to the most, I hoped.

I had to pull this off. I was so close to freedom, so close to a change in my life. If this failed, that was it. I was dead, and for what? What would I have achieved? Turning against a government that deserved to be punished deserved a pat on the back, but was it worth my life?

I was frozen with fear as I realised that I was beginning to fall too fast. The ground below was coming up fast as thought it were the one flying through the air, but I knew it was not true. I clicked my fingers again, furiously, but there was not enough energy left in me to work gravity properly.

"Damn it!" I gasped angrily as fear began to rob me consciousness. I could do nothing now accept let death take me, but at least I would not feel a thing, I thought as I fell into darkness just in time.


	3. Desperate Decisions

**Chapter Three: Desperate Decisions**

_**Vanille's POV**_

Well there I was, having a brilliant night and morning that followed with my one and only crush, and now I was fighting a mechanical monster? Why does life twist things like this?

Rock after rock I threw did separate damage. They were like seeking missiles, locating the weaker points for me and therefore directing the next, but none seemed to be doing that much damage. My bow pressed heavily to my back as though forcing to remember it existed, but after Treyvell had succeeded so well in distracting me the previous night, I had forgotten to repack my arrows. I had three left clattering around beside the bow and I wanted to save them for the finishing shots. First, I had to plan where they would land to kill this monstrosity.

Treyvell seemed confused in the corner of my eye. He had the boy supported so he could walk at least a little, but now Treyvell did not know what to do. He was waiting for me, I knew that, but he had to flee. I knew that I would be the one holding this thing back, so I threw my arm wildly to Treyvell, begging him to run.

"I won't go without you, Vanille!" he yelled back with a clear tremble in his voice.

I was getting frustrated and turned all of my attention to him. "Treyvell, I'll be fine, just-"

He had done it again. He had distracted me again so I could not avoid the giant hand that threw me across the ground. It felt like a wall of bricks exploding against my side and I was flying through the air in a complete daze for what seemed like an entire minute.

When I landed, dirt and rock showered over me, and I could feel the vibrations as the machine neared. I tried to get up, but my body would not move. I could hear Treyvell crying out my name, then a clash of metal against metal.

"You and your boyfriend had better get moving," I heard someone say. The voice was female, but unfamiliar, and then I remembered seeing another there. A woman, lying on the ground when we ran in.

I followed her advice and tried to stand again, but my legs were shaking too badly from fear and shock. Treyvell was running towards me with the boy some metres behind him.

"Are you really that useless?" A hand, strong and harsh, pulled me up roughly by the shoulder. A flash of pink hair and a scowl, and the woman pushed me roughly to the side whilst shooting a grasping hand away. Sparks flew and she twisted her weapon in the air. There was a click and it was a sword in an instant, cutting away at the thick mechanical plates.

Never had I seen such a strange weapon, nor such a ferocious fighter. She seemed to be having little trouble with the machine now, hacking away and ducking beneath its clawing fingers and stamping feet. She was fluent and graceful in her movements and slipped around like a shadow, appearing so suddenly she gave even me a fright, but even though her skills were clearly amazingly well trained, she was not perfect. One attack was too slow and she was left with a fisted hand sweeping her clean from the ground.

Now those deep lifeless eyes high above turned to me, and I ran like I had never before. Treyvell was naturally the first in my sight, so I threw myself into his waiting arms and let him take over. He half carried me, half dragged me across the dirt, the boy panting at my side with staring eyes, but I felt a sudden pang of guilt. The woman who had saved my like was still back there, and I had left her to die.

"Wait!" I cried out in a strangled voice. "The woman…"

Treyvell turned and paled. "Vanille, that machine is about to crush her. I'm sorry, but it's too la-"

I did not want to hear it. I loved him, that I knew, but I needed to take a chance and attack sudden death before it took my own strange saviour. As I passed the worried boy his hand shot out and grasped mine, but I stopped his pleas with a quick but strong kiss. His hand lowered, and I was free to go.

The machine seemed relentless, lacking the usual human downfalls of exhaustion, hunger, and pain. Despite the missing chunk of its body, it used what it could to try and kill the woman who had regained consciousness and was now throwing herself around like a rag doll to avoid the pounding hands and feet. She was not immune to being slowed down, I could see that clearly, so I used what knowledge of combat skills I had that did not include a bow and arrow, and leapt as high as I could at the machine.

My jump had been well timed, for as the enemy bent down to scoop up a now completely defeated fighter, my arms wrapped around its neck. It gave a sudden surprised jerk and started reaching for me like I was an annoying bug. I clung on for dear life, tyring to think of what to do next, but it had me in its cold hard graps before I could even begin. Below I could see two blue eyes gazing up at me with a look of disappointment and slight amusement. The woman had recovered again, and seemed to think mmy performance rather useless by the looks of things.

I had to admit, I could not blame her.

"Vanille!" Treyvell could not stand to see me hanging from the clutched of the machine. It held me close to its eyes as though examining me and as I stared back I could see nothing but an empty void, one cracked and broken from my earlier assault.

I glanced down at the dear boy who screamed out my name again and again. He had left the youngster back near the tree line and instead ran to my rescue. My kiss had only left him dazed for a short while and now he was back to his normal self… Putting himself in danger for me.

I yelled at him to get back, but he ran at the mechanical beast with rage in his eyes. Both hands began pummelling at the shining metal feet, the clanging the only giveaway for what was happening for the machine. It turned its head somewhat lazily and glanced down at Treyvell.

I could see him clearly now. His eyes were teary, his face pale, but he was staring at me and only me. He was not afraid for himself, but the girl he wished for day and night.

If only we had longer.

In a flash of red the hand that held nothing soared through the air and connected with Treyvell. The sound was sickening, for the force was unbelievable. I closed my eyes, screaming, as the bloodied form of Treyvell was launched metres from where he had been standing and crumpled to the ground.

Everything stopped and I was alone. Those empty eyes still stared at me, no longer caring for the boy it had just killed, and below I felt the woman's presence trying to get away as fast as she could. I did not care for her selfishness or the piercing gaze from my soon to be killer. All I cared about was him, and he had been taken.

Death did not scare me any longer, and I spat into the face of the mechanical monstrosity, screaming for it to kill me and end it all. For a moment it seemed to grin in understanding, then as I felt myself lifted higher, a flash of sparks exploded in front of me and I was released.

Everything passed in a blur and the wind seemed to try and drag me back up towards the sky. It was all so slow, and I began to fear as I got closer towards the shattering ground. This was it. I was about to die.

I hit the dirt, but I was still being carried through the air. My breath had become caught In my throat so for a moment I could not breathe, then I heard a voice that was already becoming familiar.

"Gotcha."

The woman had turned back after all and as I stared past her at the machine behind it was still standing with a bullet hole the size of my entire person gaping in its head.

The woman smirked. "Isn't it lucky I always pack a spare rocket in my gun?"

Was she joking? I could not tell. Already the pain of loosing Treyvell was beginning to numb and I felt guilty for it. Too see the effect it would have on me and perhaps make me feel how I should, I Glanced over at his body.

An explosion of blood covered his front and soaked into the earth as I stared. Much of his skin had been split from the force and I could see his eyes wide and staring, but never blinking. They never would again.

It stung terribly, but still I did not cry or collapse. Instead I looked away, back to the woman who had saved me again.

She, however, seemed to be intrigued with the trees that stretched out ahead of us, and before I could ask what was going on, a number of men burst forth.

I recognised all of them. Terthel, Skalti, Jeske, Davris, and many others that were fighters in out village. Sworn to protect, sworn to lay down their lives, yet all they could do was study the scene with white faces and back away slowly.

Only one of the strongest, Jak, stood tall before the others and faced the woman who still held me from the catch. Immediately, as though she had realised through my mind, she shoved me away to the side and stepped up close to Jak.

He growled into her face. "What have you brought here?"

She jabbed a finger back at the machine. "I did not bring this. You think I would have control over something so vile?"

He did not believe her. "You lie, outsider!"

She shrugged simply and turned her back. "Believe what you want."

Jak screamed out in rage. "One of our villagers is dead because of you, and all you do is walk away!?"

Still Lightning did not turn. She was walking away on a limping leg, yet she was strong enough to keep her head forward and her eyes focused. She would not waste her time with us.

I did not care for anything at that moment. Everything was different, it was quiet, and I experienced it all alone. I could feel that feeling now and pictured myself in a cage surrounded by darkness, hammering against the bars. My head felt light and I was falling forward, but I caught myself and stood, swaying from side to side.

The argument continued, getting more and more heated as the minutes passed by, but it was one-sided now as the woman did not garce him with anymore of her words.

Realising she would not stop, and lacking the confidence to stop her by force, the men turned to me, their next target. I saw them form the corner of my eye and shied away as I felt the flames from ther gazes.

"You…" Jak snarled, taking a few steps towards me. "We all knew that there was something wrong with you from the beginning, and now we know for sure. You took her side, didn't you? You let Treyvell die!"

I almost punched him square in the face for saying such a false thing. "How dare you!" I screamed instead. "I loved him! I loved Treyvell! I would do anything for him!"

They weren't listening. In fact, they had not even noticed. They were talking amongst each other in quiet voices, no doubt discussing what to do with me, the supposed murderer, but someone had heard me.

The woman stared back with her cold eyes, seeming to sum me up. She made no movement, just looked at me, and I turned away, convincing myself that she did not care. No one did. I was completely alone.

There were sharp scrapes of metal as weak swords, rusted and dented, were unsheathed and held before me. I no longer cared as I stared ta the tips that wavered beneath my throat, and did not even listen to the angry words that spat out at me.

"She had nothing to do with it."

The woman had finally moved and she was beside me now, her arm stretched out in front of me with her free hand pressing the tip of her gunblade to the throat of Jak.

He was pale and tried to speak, but the movement jerked the blade and a drop of blood slithered down his neck. Instead he silenced himself and backed away from me.

I gaped at the woman, unable to believe that when I had needed someone, the most unexpected person was my saviour once again. What was it about her that made me pull myself closer to her side, revelling in her protection.

Her face did not change and her glare did not lighten. This seemed to have a force of its own for the fighters stepped away, following their leader Jak until they fled through the trees. No longer would there be any trust for outsiders, but it did not bother me for I knew that my life here was over in that instant.

The woman was still for a moment, her gaze returning to me again, only this time she wore a tiny smile. "My name's Lightning," she said before beginning to walk away again in a neat stride.

Somehow I knew she wanted me to follow, so I was in her wake, acting as her shadow, as we passed through the area like wraiths. I had no future here, and I past I wanted to forget, now more than ever, and as I passed Treyvell for the last time, I could not help but wish that those blades had struck me down and this mysterious 'Lightning' had left me to die.


End file.
